Mouthpiece.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

W. SEEPBLDT.

MOUTHPIEGE.

APPLICATION rum) gm. 29,1906.

WILLIAM SEEFELDT, OF PHILADELPHIA.. PENNSYLVANIA.

MOUTHPIECE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed August 29,1905. Serial No. 276.208.

To all whom it Tittty concern:

Be it known that I, l VILLIAM'SEEFELDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phila delphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mouthpieces, of' which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a novel construction of a mouthpiece by means of which both the volume and quality of the tone of the instru'ment are increased and improved, and at the same time the instrument is rendered much easier to play. 7

It further consists of a novel construction of a bushing which may be inserted in the tapered end of the mouthpieces now in use, whereby old and worn-out mouthpieces may be tuned so that the mouthpiece will be in tune with any brass-band or horn instrument to which it may be applied. a

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a mouthpiece embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a perspective View of the bushing which is employed, the same being shown in detached position. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section. of a mouthpiece as applicable to instruments of large size. F 4 represents a perspective view of the bushing shown in Fig. 3, said bushing being shown in detached position.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a cup which may he of any approved or conventional type and from which extends the tube 2, which is adapted to fit the instrument. 3 designates the bore of the tube 2, which, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, tapers from the cup toward the outer end of the tube. 4 designates a bushing which is adapted to be secured in the outer end of the tube 2 in any suitable manner. The outer wall of this bushing tapers from its outer extremity toward its inner end. in order that it may tightly fit the tube 2. 5 designates a passage or opening through the bushing 4, it being seen in Fig. 1 that the opening in the bushing is narrowest at its outer extremity, as at 6, and tapers gradually toward its inner end 7, at which point it has its greatest diameter. The inner walls of the bushing 4 are angularly inclined to the tapered bore of the tube 2. The diameter of the bore of the bushing 4 is slightly larger at its outer extremity than the diameter of the inner end 8 of the bore3, so that a chamber or air-reservoir is formed in the tube 2. This construction renders any instrument to which the mouthpiece is attached much easier to play, and a pure, clear, and full note, either high or low, maybe obtained.

1 In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4 I have employed a bushing the inner bore of which has a different contour from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Instead of having the smallest diameter of the bushing at the extreme end, as in Fig. 1, the same is shown as being substantially midway the ends of the bushing, as at 10. The diameter of the bore of the bushing at its outer end '11 is slightly larger than the diameter of the bushing at its inner end 12, the inner Walls of said bushing tapering gradually from its narrowest diameter 10 toward each end. I have found in practice that this construction produces a better result when employed in mouthpieces of a larger size. It will be apparent that the broad principle of my invention is the same in both casesnamely, the formation of an air reservoir or chamber between the inner end of the tapered bore of the tube and the outer end of the. tube.

The diameter of the bore of the bushing at 10 is larger than the diameter of the bore 3 at its inner end 13. The bushing 9 tapers from its outer end toward its inner end in order that it will closely fit the bore 3 of the tube 2. The bushing is preferably soldered in the end of the tube 2 but the result will be substantially the same if this loosely fits the bushing, and I have found in practice that it makes only a very slight difference whether the bushing is at the extreme end of the tube or at a little distance from the end. It will be apparent that the angle which the inner wall of the bushing forms with the tapered bore of the tube may be varied according to requirements. The bushing may be made integral with the tube, if so desired.

If an old -mouthpiece is to be repaired, a bushing such as shown in Figs. 2 or 4 would be inserted in the end of the tool; but if a new mouthpiece is being made a bushing is not employed; but the tube is given a contour such as is shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 by means of suitable reamers, and while for convenience of illustration I have shown the contour of the mouthpiece-tube as being produced by the employment of a bushing it will be apparent that the same structure and result are attained if the bushing is not employed, and the tube is shaped as herein disclosed by the aid of suitable reamers.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mouthpiece for musical instruments, comprising a tube, the greatest diameter of its passage being intermediate the ends of said tube, the inner bore of the latter gradually diminishing from an intermediate point toward the ends of said tube, and a cup for the latter.

2. A mouthpiece for musical instruments comprising a tube, the diameter of its passage at one extremity being less than the diameter of said. passage at the other extremity, said passage gradually diminishing from an intermediate point toward the ends thereof, and a cup for said tube.

3. A mouthpiece for musical instruments greater diameter at one end of said. tube than at the other end.

WILLIAM SEEFELDT. Witnesses:

H. S. FAIRBANKS, J. O. MoGLAsHEN. 

